785 CRASHES IN
OHIO, OH
2021

Of the 5 fatalities recorded, 4 were motor vehicle occupants and 1 was a pedestrian. Motorists also accounted for the vast majority of injuries, with 269 individuals injured. In addition to the one pedestrian fatality, 3 pedestrians sustained injuries. No bicyclists were killed or injured in crashes during this period.

Crash patterns show a clear peak on Fridays, which saw 148 incidents, and during the 6 p.m. hour, with 61 crashes recorded. While 429 crashes (54.6%) occurred during daylight hours, a significant number, 274 crashes, took place on unlit roadways after dark.

The majority of crashes, 586 incidents or 74.6%, resulted in no injuries. Injury-related crashes accounted for approximately 25% of the total, including 28 serious injury crashes and 122 minor injury crashes. In total, 4 separate crashes were classified as fatal, leading to 5 deaths, as a single crash can result in multiple fatalities.

Severity is per crash event (most severe injury). 4 fatal crash events resulted in 5 persons killed.

A majority of crashes occurred in favorable conditions, with 59.7% (469 crashes) happening in clear weather and 74.1% (582 crashes) on dry road surfaces. Over half of all incidents (429 crashes, or 54.6%) took place in daylight. Adverse conditions still played a role, with 153 crashes on wet roads and 69 crashes during rain.

Among the 1,548 people involved in crashes, the 26-34 and 35-44 age groups were the most represented, each with 221 individuals. Of the 1,121 vehicles involved, Chevrolet was the most frequent make with 246 vehicles, followed by Ford with 234 vehicles. Dodge (79), Toyota (74), and Honda (60) were the next most common makes.

The first harmful event in most crashes, 540 incidents, occurred on the roadway itself. However, a significant portion of crashes were run-off-road events, with 241 incidents (30.7%) having their first harmful event on the roadside, shoulder, or in the median, indicating a loss of control from the travel lanes.

The vast majority of vehicles involved in crashes were at locations with no traffic control device present, accounting for 883 of the 1,121 vehicles (78.8%). Crashes at locations with traffic signals involved 126 vehicles (11.2%), and those at stop signs involved 109 vehicles (9.7%).

Among driver-related actions cited as contributing factors, unsafe speed was the most common, noted for 119 vehicles. This was followed by driving off the road (110 vehicles), following too closely (106 vehicles), and failure to yield (92 vehicles).

A total of 37 commercial vehicles were involved in crashes, including 15 semi-tractor trailers and 22 other commercial vehicles like single-unit trucks. These vehicles were involved in incidents that represent a high-severity category, although they comprise 3.3% of all vehicles in crashes.

Crashes involved 23 vulnerable road users and motorcyclists. This included 17 crashes with motorcyclists, 5 with pedestrians, and 1 with a bicyclist. Combined, the 6 crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists represent a particularly high-risk category for severe injury or death.

Collisions with animals accounted for 194 crashes, representing a significant 24.7% of all incidents in the county. The vast majority of these, 182 crashes, involved deer, while 12 crashes involved other types of animals.

Impairment was a factor in 48 crashes, or 6.1% of the total. Among these, impairment by drugs was cited in 19 incidents, alcohol in 16, and a combination of alcohol and drugs in 13.

Beyond 'Apparently Normal,' specific driver conditions were noted for 67 of the 1,104 drivers. Being under the influence of medications, drugs, or alcohol was the most cited condition, affecting 44 drivers. Additionally, 14 drivers were reported as having fallen asleep, fainted, or been fatigued.

Among 1,104 drivers, 44 were noted as being distracted. The most common issues were other distractions inside the vehicle (18 drivers) and outside the vehicle (11 drivers). Electronic device use was explicitly cited for 14 drivers, including 5 who were manually operating a device.

Roadway geometry played a role in a notable share of crashes. Incidents on curves occurred in 163 cases (20.8% of all crashes). Roadways with a grade (uphill or downhill) were the site of 180 crashes, accounting for 22.9% of the total.

The geographic distribution of crashes across Brown County was concentrated in a few key areas. The township of Mount Orab saw the highest number of incidents with 97 crashes, representing 12.4% of the county's total. Perry township followed with 82 crashes (10.4%), and Clark township had 56 crashes (7.1%).

The most common action for vehicles immediately before a crash was driving straight ahead, which was the case for 753 vehicles (67.2%). The next most frequent pre-crash actions were negotiating a curve (119 vehicles, or 10.6%) and slowing or stopping in traffic (92 vehicles, or 8.2%).

Single-vehicle crashes were the dominant collision type, with 489 incidents (62.3%) classified as 'Not Collision Between Two Vehicles in Transport'. Among multi-vehicle crashes, angle collisions were the most frequent, occurring in 117 cases (14.9%), followed by rear-end collisions with 93 incidents (11.8%).

Passenger cars were the most common vehicle type involved in crashes, accounting for 512 of the 1,121 total vehicles (45.7%). Light trucks, including pickups (239) and sport utility vehicles (234), collectively made up another significant portion, representing 42.2% of vehicles in collisions.

Of the 1,548 individuals involved in crashes, the majority were drivers (1,104 people, or 71.3%). Vehicle occupants, or passengers, accounted for 439 individuals (28.4%). A small but notable group of 5 pedestrians were also involved in these incidents.

Among the 1,548 people involved in crashes, 277 were either injured or killed, representing 17.9% of all participants. This includes 5 fatalities, 43 serious injuries, 163 minor injuries, and 66 possible injuries. The remaining 1,253 individuals sustained no apparent injury.

Among individuals where safety equipment use was documented, 150 people were recorded as using no restraints at all. This group represents 10.0% of the 1,501 participants with a known restraint status. The majority, 1,252 individuals, were reported as using both a shoulder and lap belt.

Single-vehicle crashes were the most common scenario, accounting for 460 of the 785 total incidents (58.6%). Crashes involving two vehicles were the next most frequent, with 315 occurrences (40.1%). Multi-vehicle pile-ups were rare, with only 9 crashes involving three vehicles and one crash involving four.